Sunday, July 18, 2010

Break out the bubbly, the bubble tea bubbly, I mean. This is my first post in I don't know how long - the early days of July? It's been so hatefully hot and humid that I have rarely been in the kitchen. Neither eating nor cooking have much appeal to me. I know. You will tell me to just suck it up. Well, I have. I sucked several up, actually, from a sweating-cold glass as tall as a skyscraper. Giant tapioca pearls taste like nothing, but chew like nothing else. If you like gummy bears, you will find this refreshing Asian concoction of stunningly sweet, fruity milk tea addictive. And even if you can't ferret out the funky wide straws which make you look like you've just survived the golden ticket tour of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, a long-handled spoon works just fine for excavating every last sticky black marble. Who said bottom feeding is beneath one's dignity?

In a medium-to-large saucepan, heat to boiling enough water to deeply cover tapioca pearls. (As big as they are, they will expand to 2-3 times their original size. Consult the cooking directions on your specific package, which vary by brand. I used one labeled "Ready in 5 Minutes," but it took 3o minutes. Some brands may take longer. As a general rule, the longer it is cooked, the softer the centers will be. Overcooking, however, will turn it into gelatinous mush. These directions are for the brand I used.)

Pour tapioca into boiling water. They will drop to the bottom of saucepan. Stir briefly to prevent sticking. Cover saucepan and boil for exactly 5 minutes. During this time, prepare the sugar syrup by combining sugar and water is a small saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar is fully dissolved (also 5 minutes). Remove from heat and reserve, keeping it warm.

Return to the tapioca. Turn the heat off and peak inside the saucepan. Tapioca should be floating on the surface. If not, stir gently to dislodge it from the bottom and sides of saucepan. Cover the saucepan again and let the pearls continue to cook in the stored heat of the water for 25 minutes. Do not turn the heat back on. The additional 25 minutes are necessary whether they are floating or need to be lifted.

In meantime, pour all other ingredients and ice into blender or cocktail shaker. Before you agitate, return to the tapoica pearls, draining them in a large mesh strainer. Pour them into the saucepan that holds the warm sugar syrup, insuring they are fully covered with it. If using a blender, its highest speed will grind the ice until fine, smooth, and loose granules form. Divide tapioca into two tall glasses, adding some sugar syrup with each spoonful. Pour the blended mixture on top of tapioca in each glass. Though they will settle in time, the bubbles on top of the drink create a fanciful mantle of foam to suspend the thick straw in. If the foam is too thin, return just the liquid contents to blender, adding another 1/3 cup almond milk before whipping the mixture on the highest setting. Again pour into glasses. Taste for additional sugar. Though bubble tea is traditionally very sweet, you can incrementally add just enough sugar to suit you, either by stirring in small amounts of caster sugar or the sugar syrup that held the tapioca. I find that a generous amount of sugar intensified all the subtle and unique flavors of peach, oolong, and almond milk. Leftovers may be saved in the refrigerator. Since the pearls become hard when cold, they can be scooped into a small saucepan of hot water to restore their softness and elasticity.

* Dried black tapioca pearls are available online or in Chinese and Thai grocers, and can occasionally be found in other Asian retailers. Cassava root, from which this is made, is naturally white. Bubble tea tapioca is often colored for novelty.

16 comments:

That is too funny. I just left another blog that posted about bubble tea. Check it out at Marys Blog;http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/.Yours sounds yummy too. I've never had this drink. Now I'm sure I have to try this.Thanks.

I have never seen those giant tapioca pearls. I like your description: they "taste like nothing, but chew like nothing else." And, of course, I love your photos, always bringing to vivid life, for our pleasure, what you have made.

Ooo, thanks for this! I have to agree that it's super sweet--the one time I got it at a Thai restaurant, it was a little overwhelming. As much as I enjoy sweet things, it's nice to be able to dial down the sugar some.

This is just delightful Susan. I drink a lot of bubble tea where I come from, and I must say your peach oolong almond concoction sounds and looks so good - it'll give our local vendors a run for their money hehe

Carla & Michael - Thanks. Boba tea is one of those guilty adult pleasures, like watching Saturday morning cartoons. : ) I'll go pop over to Mary's site for a read of her post.

Thanks, Simona. Giant tapioca is hard to find, although any city w/ a large Chinese community likely has these tea shops. I had to get the pearls and the wide straws online. I made the purchases on a hunch that I would like the beverage, but only if I made it from scratch rather than use the artificial creamer, colored & flavored powders used commercially.

Hi, RV. - Thanks. It is very refreshing and really distracts you from the heat.

Akheela - Thank you. One of the nicest things about blogging is the discovery of something new. : )

Thanks so much, Esra. I wish I could share with you. I made enough to refresh a small gathering.

Priya - The texture of these large pearls is different than the typical small white ones most commonly available.

Hi, Ruhama. I agree. It is *very* sweet, which probably neutralizes some of those ultra-hot Thai curries, but is a bit of a shock on its own.

Hello, M. Thanks. And the color is natural, too.

Xiaolu - Thank you. I enjoy shooting ingredients best; they have a unique natural beauty and texture, ideal for still lifes.

welcome, Marisa! Thanks so much. A well-stocked Chinese grocer is your best bet outside of online.

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